Electric alarm-signal for cables



(No Model.).

'W. H. WOODRING 8v 0. S. GILBERT.

ELEOTRIG ALARM $IGNAL FOR CABLES.

No. 400,028. Patented Mar. 10, 1889..

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lVILLlAM H. XVOODRING AND CLARENCE S. GILBERT, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC ALARM-SIGNAL FOR CABLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,028, dated March 19, 1889.

Application filed July 2,1888- Serial No. 278,809. (No model.)'

To all whom, it may concern.- v

Be it known that we, WVILLIAM H. IVOOD- RING and CLARENCE S. GILBERT, citizens of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Alarm -Signals for Cables; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our inventian relates to an improvement in electric alarm-signals for cables.

The object is to provide simple and effective means, whereby the breaking of one or more of the strands of a cable employed to propel cars and the likeas in cable railways, minecables, &c.-may be detected before the cable has become sufficiently weakened to break entirely in two, thereby saving much time and expense.

Vith this end in view our invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing the alarm, the means for throwing it into circuit, and a portion of a cable, the parts being in the position which they would occupy when the cable is intact. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation, showing the parts in the position they would occupy when disturbed by a broken strand.

A represents a suitable base secured to the wall or bottom of the conduit near the path of the cable. To the base A a drop, a, is hinged in any well-known manner, so that it may be easily tilted over toward the base, as shown in Fig. 2. The free edge of said drop is provided with a transverse recess, a, sufficiently large to allow the cable to travel there through without bearing to any great extent upon the walls of the recess. The cable is here represented by the letter B, and is supposed to be running in its normal position through the recess a. To one face of the drop a, and to one side of the transverse recess therein, a finger or guard, C, is pivoted and rests when in normal position across the upper portion of the recess a, with its free end resting 011 a pin or stop, 0. The construction is intended to be such that when a broken strand of the cable passing in the direction shown by the arrow strikes against either the drop or the guard-finger it will cause the drop to tilt over into the position shown in Fig. 2, in which position the pressure of the broken strand against the drop or pivoted guard will cause the said pivoted guard to be thrown up out of contact with its stop, and the cable will be free to disengage itself from the recess without producing any undue strain or causing the shrinkage of any part of the drop.

The fact that a broken strand of cable has impinged against the drop or the pivoted guard-finger and tilted it is conveyed to the operator, engineer, or watchman, as the case may be, in the following manner: A11 electric bell (shown in the present instance attached to the base A, and denoted by the letter D,) is connected by suitable conductors with a battery, E, and with contact-pieces F and G, secured, respectively, to the drop a and base A. The conductors are herein denoted by the letters 6 and f. The contact-piece Gis preferably of spring metal and has one end secured firmly to the base A, while the opposite end curves upwardly therefrom and is free to yield. The contact-piece F is secured firmly to the drop a, while its free end projects out from the end of the drop in such position that so long as the drop remains in its upright or normal position the piece F will be out of contact with the piece G, but so soon as the drop is tilted overin the direction in which the cable runs the contact-piece F will be brought into engagement with the contact-piece G, and an electric circuit will be thereby. established through the alarmbell D and battery E and the alarm will be sounded.

The battery which we find it is convenient to employ in connection with the alarm and drop consists of a rubber cup having the copper wall or plate incased therein and communication between it and one end of the rubber casing established by a metallic pin or wire, 6', the same projecting slightly from the end, while a zinc rod having some suitable non-eomluctor attached to its head is placed within the copper plate or cylinder, its head serving as a cork to close liquid-tight the opening in the casing, a metallic eonductor extending from the zinc through the cork and projecting slightly from its head. This battery is placed with its poles in con tact with a pair of s n-ing-mctal ears, II, secured to the base, forming a simple and convenient battery for the purpose.

It will be observed that the particular construction of battery here employed is not material, except so far as convenience and economy are concerned, and the alarm may also be of anywell-known construction.

The device should be placed at such points of the line that it will not interfere with the passage oi. the gripfor example, where the roads cross or at the engine-lwuseand the alarm maybe placed eitherin close proximity to the drop and secured to the same base with the drop or it may be located at a distance from the drop, in position to be clearly heard by the operator or watchman,who, as soon as the alarm sounds, will be warned that there is a broken strand, and by keeping close watch of the cable as it comes around on its bearings before him can so stop the motor that the strand will be in position to be conveniently repaired. So, also,with the battery. It may be located either in proximity to the drop or at any other convenient point in the circuit.

The drop maybe constructed of wood, metal, or any other suitable material, and slight changes as to form and manner of hinging maybe resorted. to without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention; hence we do not wish to limit ourselves strictly to the construction herein set forth; but,

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a cable, a swingingpiece partially surrounding the cable, a guard pivoted to said swinging piece above said cable, an electric circuit comprising a battery, and an alarm, the swinging-oi? the piece which partially embraces the cable serving to close the circuit, substantially as set forth.

In combination, a base, a cable, a drop hinged to the base and partially embracing the cable, a guard pivoted to said drop above the cable, a normally-open circuit comprising a lj)attery and alarm, and contact-pieces engaged one with the drop and one with. the base and adapted to be brought into contact by the falling of the drop, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination, a drop constructed to partiall y surround a cable, and a pivoted guard or linger constructed to rest normally over the cable, the said finger having a bearin g against the side of the drop in the direction in which the cable moves when the drop is upright and free to swing on its pivot and release the cable when the drop is tilted, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination, a cable, a base, a drop hinged to the base and provided with a recess to receive the cable, a pivoted guard extend in g over the cable across the recess, an electric circuit comprising a battery and alarm, a spring contact-piece connected with the base, and a eimtact-piece connected with the drop, the relative positions of the contact-pieces being such that the tilting of the drop in the direction which the cable runs will throw them into engagement, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we. have affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. \VOODRING. (YLARENUE S. (ill'llll ll t'l.

\Vituesses:

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